Being prepared and informed may help you to avoid the messy and often expensive issue of frozen pipes. The American Red Cross provides information and suggestions around how to prevent water pipes in the home from freezing, and how to thaw them if they do freeze.

As temperatures cool down and fall is in full swing, most homeowners have one thing in mind: preparing for winter. Winterizing a second property is important as well, as winter weather can wreak havoc on vacation homes. Whether it’s running the water to make sure the pipes don’t freeze or inspecting windows to make sure that ice has not cracked them, winterizing your home can be an arduous task, but it’s worth doing to ensure that your home stays safe and that you’re saving money as temperatures drop and snow falls.

But what happens after you leave for the winter? That’s where smart home tech comes in. Z-Wave powered smart home gear can make it easier for homeowners to prepare for frigid temps and monitor their property to mitigate any potential damage that could occur.

We will be at CEDIA 2016! It takes place September 13-17, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. Come see us at the Z-Wave Alliance booth # 1910. We will be displaying our latest products, including our MIMO2+ I/O module and our Flow Meter. Come check us out!

Interested in having a ‘smart home’? Want to do more than just switch a few lights on and off? Want to save energy and cut down on your electric and fuel bills? Want a higher level of convenience and security

Here’s a module that should be ideal to bridge your DIY projects to your Z-Wave network.. The Fortrezz MIMOlite is an interface / bridge module, capable of converting a digital or analog voltage input and/or a Z-WaveTM RF message input